Inside the Mind of Today’s Job Seeker: Current Workforce Trends for 2025
At TRC Talent Solutions, we’re more than just a staffing partner—we’re career builders and problem solvers. To truly support our clients and candidates, we know it’s critical to understand what today’s workforce is thinking, feeling, and prioritizing. That’s why we launched our Q1 2025 Pulse of the Workforce Survey: to hear directly from job seekers across industries and uncover what’s driving their career decisions in the year ahead.
Who We Heard From
Our survey gathered insights from professionals across business services, IT, financial services, warehousing, and more. Some are actively job hunting, others are currently employed but open to new opportunities—and all shared honest feedback about what matters most in their career journeys.
What We Asked
We didn’t just want to know who’s looking—we wanted to understand why. Our questions focused on:
- Motivations for seeking new opportunities
- The impact of personal and external factors on career decisions
- What makes someone stay—or leave—a job
- Overall satisfaction with their current employer
What We Learned
1. Most People Are on the Move
- 77% of respondents said they plan to look for a new job within the next 3 months.
- 94% of currently unemployed respondents are actively job hunting.
- Even among those currently employed, 64% are open to something new.
2. Growth and Pay Still Reign Supreme
- Career advancement (53%) and dissatisfaction with pay (47%) are the top two reasons professionals are looking to make a change.
- Those with 11–15 years of experience were especially driven by these two factors, as were candidates in IT, government, financial, and business services.
3. Life Outside Work Plays a Role Too
- 33% of workers say that changes in their personal life are influencing their career decisions.
- 20% of workers are being swayed by current events — choosing to either stay or leave based on external factors like tariffs, recession, etc.
- While only 9% of workers cited return-to-office policies as a deciding factor, it is still a hot topic that employers should be aware of in retaining top talent.
4. Employer Reputation Still Matters
- 77% of all respondents said they would recommend their current or most recent employer.
- Despite being in job search mode, 67% of respondents who are currently employed would still recommend their current company to others.
What This Means for Employers
The takeaway is clear: today’s workforce are looking for more than just a job. They want:
- Room to grow professionally
- Fair and competitive compensation
- Understanding and flexibility when life shifts
- A culture and leadership team they can believe in and speak highly of
How TRC Talent Solutions Helps You Stay Ahead
Our role at TRC isn’t just to fill jobs—it’s to match great talent with great opportunities in a way that drives retention and success for both parties. We use data like this to keep a finger on the pulse of the workforce and ensure we’re meeting candidates where they are—so you can build a team that’s committed, motivated, and ready to thrive.
Want a deeper dive into our 2025 findings? Check out the report here or contact us to discuss impacts to your business. We’d love to show you how TRC Talent Solutions can help you stay ahead of the curve.
